·Ask the questions. The more knowledge you have of the working of your body, the easier it is to understand when things go wrong. Remember knowledge is power.

· Keep your appointments. Your chiropractor has tailored a plan to suit your needs, if you skip an appointment or two, then the plan goes awry, and you don't get better as quickly as you would have liked.

·Get moving. Exercise, even very gentle exercise is fantastic for you – the more you move the better you will be.

· Get some massage. If your muscles are loose and flexible, then chiropractic treatments will be a lot easier, and the adjustments can stay for much longer – remember 80% of your joint stability comes from your muscles, therefore we need these to be good.

· Better nutrition. You only get out of your body what you put into it. It needs many essential vitamins and minerals, mainly from a balanced and healthy diet.

·Drink more water. Water is essential to all living things, and remember 80% of your body is made from water, so keep it topped up.

·Restful sleep. Amazingly we do most of our healing in our sleep, so if you have a bad back etc. and cannot get good sleep, then your health deteriorates until sleep is restored. Also after treatment if you feel tired and sleepy, don't fight it, allow your body to accept and heal itself.

·Less coffee. And tea for that matter! Caffeine found in tea and coffee is quite detrimental to health and healing – so try to substitute at least one cup of coffee or tea for a glass of water in a day.

· Quit smoking. Need I say anymore!

·Moderate alcohol. For the same reason stated in the coffee heading.

·Reduce fizzy drinks. The process of carbonating the drink, i.e. putting in the bubbles, means that your body responds to the drink differently. It senses the drink as a food rather than a drink, and processes it as such. So you don't get the rehydrating qualities that you thought you may get.

·Proper weight. I am not going to tell you if you are under- or over-weight, you know what you are, and should adjust accordingly.

·Reduce stress. We all know how we react to stressful situations: tight shoulders, headaches, knotty stomachs, lethargy, to name a few, and the ever decreasing cycle that comes with it. Exercise is a great stress buster, again, even the most gentle form will do a power of good.

·Spiritual health. Even just five mins each day to switch your mind off, relax, and unwind makes a huge difference to your everyday life. Humour me and try it for a week – see the difference.